MARK & KAREN CHAPMAN
COR & RAGÙ founders
COR & RAGÙ are family run business brought to you by husband and wife team Karen and Mark Chapman, who met working in hospitality in Sydney (many years ago!), before moving to Bristol and setting up life together!
Mark leads the restaurant's along with Tallulah & Vyck managing the floor & kitchen at COR & RAGÙ. Together bringing many years’ of experience in the industry.
After 4 years of formal training, Mark worked in world class 6 star resorts, ‘hat’ restaurants in Sydney, the Michelin star Bath Priory Hotel and as Executive Chef of Bravas, Gambas, Cargo Cantina and Masa + Mezcal in Bristol. Mark exclusively managed Gambas tapas bar and restaurant for 2 years, which was awarded a Michelin plate in 2021 and 2022 under Mark’s leadership.
All of these experiences have shaped and influenced COR & RAGÙ so far and Mark has no intention to stop learning and growing now. Alongside Mark is a brilliant and passionate team who are already helping to grow and make COR & RAGÙ what it is today and we are proud to have been awarded a Bib Gourmand by The Michelin Guide for 4 consecutive years 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 (at COR) & RAGÙ 2025 & 2026 making both venues an excellent ‘good quality, good value cooking’ restaurant alongside our mention's in The Good Food guide UK, Timeout & Hardens UK.
When Mark & Karen are not busy running the restaurant they love swimming, eating out, running and working out at the gym alongside lazy Sunday national trust walks and proper English roasts with their son's Lucas & Leo.
Mark's 3 reasons for success in the hospitality industry are; mutual respect, communication & hard work.
TALLULAH SMALL
Operations manager of COR & RAGÙ
Tallulah has established herself over a number of years in the culinary scene working within well respected and established restaurants across Bristol. She has developed a breadth of understanding, not only for food and flavours, but also the socially rooted fundamentals of breaking bread.
After getting into hospitality in Hampshire, she found her footing in Bristol’s lively hospitality industry within Season + Taste, where she first met and worked with Mark at Masa + Mezcal. After discovering a passion for mezcal and its ancestral roots in Mexican culture, this led her to take on the role of bar manager, before moving up to become assistant restaurant manager. Tallulah moved on to Root, as assistant manager for two years, taking over their drinks menu and fine tuning her creative palate with seasonal inspired cocktails, taking great inspiration from the produce and talent in the team, along with their ethos of sustainability.
Tallulah has played an integral part in COR & RAGÙ from the beginning, before we opened our doors. She leads an excellent front of house team who take great care in their love of food, drinks and service, and are proud to be the welcoming face of hospitality. Since COR has been established Tallulah has completed two WSET Level 2 qualifications, in both wine and spirits, and a WSET Level 3 in wine, with the ambition to become a sommelier. She curates the wine list for both COR & RAGÙ, along with the full spectrum of drinks we offer at COR & RAGÙ, and has a real focus on delivering an intoxicating cocktail menu. Championing local suppliers and distilleries, with the aim of producing as little waste as possible in the process.
When Tallulah’s not at work, she’ll likely be eating her way around Bristol with friends, or hosting them in her garden. She loves a good stress-relieving kickboxing class, yoga and watching the plethora of various live performances Bristol has to offer.
Tallulah's 3 reasons for success in the hospitality industry are; Passion, meticulous eye for detail & an ability to problem solve
VYCK COLSELL
Executive Head Chef of COR & RAGÙ
Vyck is from a small seaside town in Kent but grew up in Reading where she started her career as an apprentice chef in a modern British neighbourhood restaurant and studied professional cookery. She has been cooking for over 16 years and has worked in all styles of food and cuisines from Moorish, Middle Eastern and Spanish to French fine dining, Italian and vegan street food. She spent a year working and living in Melbourne where she cooked outside smoking briskets and cooking whole pigs over coals, probably a career highlight for her!
Travelling is a big part of Vyck's life and she has already been lucky enough to spend time in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Europe. After a year away in New Zealand Vyck chose to call Bristol home where she now head's up the kitchen's at COR & RAGÙ with an incredible team of chefs creating seasonal menus with ingredient led dishes, inspired by her love for the Mediterranean & Italy. Vyck believes in using the best ingredients and letting them shine. Vyck's cooking is simple but big on flavour and full of love!
When Vyck is not running the kitchen's she'll most likely be cooking for friends at home, travelling, spending time in nature and going for long walks with her dog and partner Fee.
Vyck's 3 reasons for success in the hospitality industry are; passion, creativity and dedication.
ISABEL ADOLPHE
COR Restaurant manager
Hospitality has been part of my life since my very first job in a local café. Eighteen years later, I’m still in love with the industry and the energy, connection, and creativity it brings.
I moved to Bristol two years ago from Sydney, Australia, after managing a wide range of venues, from neighbourhood bistros and local pubs to a two‑hatted restaurant in the Sydney CBD. Each place shaped me, challenged me, and helped define what hospitality truly means to me.
I joined COR early 2025 as Assistant Manager, working alongside an incredible group of female FOH legends and chefs who care deeply about delivering the very best. COR quickly became home, and I’m proud to now step into the role of Restaurant Manager.
My connection to hospitality started long before my career. I grew up in a family where food, drink, and togetherness were part of everyday life — Sunday lunches at my Grand‑mère’s, TGIF celebrations next door with my Grandma and Uncle, and a constant sense of community around the table. That spirit of sharing meals and moments is something I carry with me every day at work.
I’ve been fortunate to work with chefs who inspire creativity and passion. On weekends, you’ll usually find me around a barbecue with friends, a cold tinnie in hand, and plenty of laughter. I’ve travelled through Asia, Europe, and Central America, exploring cultures and cuisines that broadened my understanding of hospitality and the joy it can bring.
In 2022, I completed WSET Level 2 and 3, deepening my love for wine, indigenous grape varieties, and the stories behind the bottles. This led me to co‑found Juiced Wine Club in Bristol — an open, welcoming space where friends can learn, taste, and explore a different country each month.
For me, hospitality is simple: having the chance to make someone’s day is all the fuel you need.
ROB GILLESPIE
COR Head Chef
My name is Rob Gillespie, and I am the Head Chef at COR Restaurant. This is my first head chef role, and I’m proud to be taking the reins of a kitchen and team I’ve grown with over the past two years.
I joined COR in January 2025 as a Chef de Partie, progressing through every section of the kitchen before being promoted to Junior Sous Chef and then Sous Chef in March 2026. Stepping into the Head Chef role is a natural next chapter, one built on hard work, consistency, and a genuine love for the craft.
Originally from New Zealand, my partner and I moved to Bristol in November 2024 after two and a half years living in Melbourne. We met in Wellington in 2014 and spent seven years there before moving abroad. My hometown is Nelson.
In Melbourne, I worked as a Chef de Partie on the fire section at Embla, a renowned wine bar known for open‑fire cooking and native Australian ingredients. The experience shaped my approach to flavour, technique, and ingredient‑led cooking. Before that, I worked at Ortega in Wellington, one of the city’s most respected seafood restaurants, gaining broad experience across all sections under Head Chef Teresa Pert.#
What drives me in professional kitchens is the pace, pressure, and teamwork. I take pride in high standards, continual improvement, and creating an environment where the whole team can perform at its best. I strongly believe that there is no great chef without a great team.
Outside the kitchen, I enjoy travelling, barbecuing, swimming, and going to live music gigs.